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Introduction: Systemic arterial hypertension represents a health problem worldwide, of these there is still a group that presents resistance to conventional pharmacological treatment, renal sympathetic denervation represents a treatment option for these patients. Continuous blood pressure monitoring is a non-invasive method to measure blood pressure and diagnose patients with resistant high blood pressure who require renal denervation. Objective: To evaluate the blood pressure response after renal denervation at a 12-month follow-up after the procedure using the continuous blood pressure monitoring. Methods: An observational, descriptive, ambispective, longitudinal study was carried out. Twenty-one patients of both genders with a diagnosis of resistant high blood pressure after being treated with renal denervation were studied. Results: A total of 21 patients were included. Of these, 52% are women and 48% are men. With an average age of 55.29 +12.88 years. A pretreatment mean value of systolic pressure (MAPA) was obtained, of 147.43 +16.07 and post-treatment of 136.19 + 13.98. The values were statistically significant (p=0.02), with a decrease in mean systolic pressure of 11.24 +17.8, however the mean diastolic pressure MAPA did not present significant differences. Conclusions: resistant high blood pressure is multifactorial and one of the treatment options is renal denervation. However, the sample in this study is very small, and several variables may have influenced the outcome, such as close monitoring of treatment with periodic consultations, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe combined immunodeficiencies are a group of rare genetic disorders characterized by a profound impairment in both cellular and humoral immune functions. This disorder is rapidly fatal without bone marrow transplantation. Unfortunately, most children lack a histocompatible donor. The development of T cell depletion allows for haploidentical transplantation with reduced risk of GVHD. In the present article, we discuss the case of a child diagnosed with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency for whom haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation was performed by selecting CD34-positive cells followed by depletion of T cells. Both selection and purging were performed using immunoselection by the biotin–avidin system (CEPRATE System). The CD34-enriched T cell-depleted product contained 5.05 × 106/kg CD34+ cells with only 0.1 × 106/kg CD3+ cells, achieving a T cell depletion of 4.2 log. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Este documento condensa las reflexiones derivadas del seminario permanente, “Resignificación de las Humanidades en la Educación Superior”, realizado por los profesores del Departamento de Humanidades de la Universidad Santo Tomás, Bucaramanga, Colombia, a través de la lectura del libro Sin fines de lucro: por qué la democracia necesita de las humanidades, de Martha Nussbaum (2010). Desde una mirada crítica, se revisa el papel de las humanidades y las artes en el aporte a las democracias que están permeadas, silenciosa y progresivamente, por los modelos de desarrollo económico. Plantea así, una revisión cuidadosa del papel de las humanidades en el contexto de la educación superior.

Presents a correction on the article 'Haploidal peripheral blood stem cell transplantation with a combination of CD34 selection and T cell depletion as graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis in a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency,' which was published in the 1997 issue of 'Bone Marrow Transplantation.'

The effect of the horn status of cows on their milk composition and quality is a controversial research topic. In this study, 128 milk samples from 64 horned and 64 disbudded Brown Swiss and Original Braunvieh cows were collected from alpine farms where both horned and disbudded cows were grazing on mountain pastures. The samples were analyzed for their detailed composition and protein digestion in a simulated in vitro digestion (INFOGEST). To exclude probable influences on digestion, the β-CN genotype with its variants A1 and A2 was also included in the study. The effects of horn status and β-CN genotype were investigated in linear mixed models, which included additional influencing random factors such as Original Braunvieh blood proportion, stage of lactation, and farm. Horn status did not have any effect on milk composition or digestion. In contrast, milk from A1A1 cows showed a different protein digestion than milk of A1A2 and A2A2 cows in the gastric phase, including smaller amounts of β-casomorphin(BCM)21-associated peptides and larger amounts of BCM11-associated peptides. Abundances of BCM7 did not differ between β-CN genotypes. At the end of the intestinal phase, the digested milk of A1A1 and A2A2 β-CN genotypes did not differ., (The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Dairy Science Association®. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).)

Objective: We report two cases of patients diagnosed with lymphoepithelioma-like carcinomas of the urinary tract. We review the literature of this rare entity. The objective is to clarify the clinical and therapeutic characteristics., Methods: We present a retrospective review of medical records of two patients diagnosed with lymphoepithelioma-like carcinomas, one in the renal pelvis and the other in the bladder. We review the epidemiology, diagnosis and therapeutic alternatives., Results: Case 1: A 74-year-old women with past medical history of left radical nephrectomy and retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy six years before for renal pelvis carcinoma type pure lymphoepithelioma-like, stage pT4R0pN1cM0. She received adjuvant chemotherapy with Cisplatin and Gemcitabine. Five years later, she presented tumor recurrence in the left ureteral meatus, this lesion was resected. The pathology reported a high-grade urothelial carcinoma with marked lymphoid component, stage pT1. At follow-up, one year after the last recurrence, the patient was asymptomatic. In tomography control, no local or distant recurrences were objectified. Case 2: A 82-year-old men with diagnosis of muscleinvasive bladder cancer. The tumor caused right obstructive uropathy without extracapsular, regional or remote extension. We performed a radical cystoprostatectomy with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and urinary diversión type cutaneous transureterostomy. The pathology reported a urothelial bladder carcinoma type mixed lymphoepithelioma-like, stage pT4aR1pN2cM0. At six months follow-up, the patient had liver and spleen lesions and retroperitoneal adenopathic nodes, all suggestive of metastases. He is currently receiving symptomatic treatment of their disease., Conclusions: We emphasize the clinical importance involved in the diagnosis of this entity. The diagnosis influence the aggressiveness of treatment and disease-specific survival. Therefore, concomitant transitional cell carcinoma defines the prognosis. The role of immunohistochemical staining is fundamental, allowing us to confirm the presence of the epithelial component.

Bioaugmentation with an enriched microbial population was applied in an aerobic sequencing batch reactor (SBR) receiving transient or continuous shock loads of p-nitrophenol (PNP). The effect of the amount of biomass added for bioaugmentation was assessed by using two different dosages (2% or 5% w/w of the total biomass in the seeded SBR). In both cases, total PNP removal was achieved during the transient PNP shock load occurring after bioaugmentation. However, after a long PNP starvation period the only experiment still showing total PNP removal during a second PNP shock load was the one where a dosage of 5% w/w was applied. The results suggested that the dosage is a key factor for the implementation of a successful bioaugmentation strategy. In addition, the performance of a bioaugmented SBR receiving a continuous PNP shock load was enhanced when compared to a non-bioaugmented SBR., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There are a number of publications in the literature that might indicate a connection between pH and the kinetics of the aerobic p-nitrophenol (PNP) biodegradation. In this study two hypotheses were postulated to elucidate the kinetics dependence on pH: (i) the substrate inhibition does not depend on the pH value, therefore the half-saturation coefficient and the substrate inhibition constant will be the same at any pH and (ii) the substrate inhibition depends on the pH value, therefore the half-saturation coefficient and the substrate inhibition constant will have a different value depending on the pH. A PNP-degrading activated sludge was used to carry out three batch respirometric experiments at different pH values: 6.5±0.1, 7.0±0.1, 8.0±0.1. The ability to describe the experimental results with the kinetic models derived from both postulated hypotheses was quantitatively evaluated through the norm of the prediction error array. The time course of specific oxygen uptake rate and PNP concentration was satisfactorily described by a Haldane kinetics that includes the pH effect, based on the PNP acid-base equilibrium, on the kinetic parameters. The results suggest that the nonionised form of PNP is the real substrate and also the inhibitor of the aerobic PNP biodegradation., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Rupture of the corpora cavernosa is a very rare lesion. It occurs most commonly during intercourse. A far more exceptional cause is a gunshot wound; in this case, there are frequently concomitant lesions to other structures. We present the case of a man who suffered a lesion to the corpora cavernosa due to a gunshot and underwent emergency surgery. We reviewed existing literature and verified that the first step in managing a genital gunshot wound is to stabilise the patient, following which we should surgically explore the affected area.

The biological treatment of a high-strength p-nitrophenol (PNP) wastewater in an aerobic Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) has been studied. A specific operational strategy was applied with the main aim of developing a K-strategist PNP-degrading activated sludge. The enrichment of a K-strategist microbial population was performed using a non-acclimated biomass coming from a municipal WWTP as inoculum, and following a feeding strategy in which the PNP-degrading biomass was under endogenous conditions during more than 50% of the aerobic reaction phase. Hundred per cent of PNP removal was achieved in the whole operating period with a maximum specific PNP loading rate of 0.26 g PNP g(-1)VSS d(-1). A kinetic characterization of the obtained PNP-degrading population was carried out using respirometry assays in specifically designed batch tests. With the experimental data obtained a kinetic model including substrate inhibition has been used to describe the time-course of the PNP concentration and specific oxygen uptake rate (SOUR), simultaneously. The kinetic parameters obtained through optimization, validated with an additional respirometric test, were k(max)=1.02 mg PNP mg(-1) COD d(-1), K(s)=1.6 mg PNP L(-1) and K(i)=54 mg PNP L(-1). The values obtained for the K(s) and k(max) are lower than those reported in the literature for mixed populations, meaning that the biomass is a K-strategist type, and therefore demonstrating the success of the operational strategy imposed to obtain such a K-strategist population. Moreover, our measured K(i) value is higher than those reported by most of the bibliographic references; therefore the acclimated activated sludge used in this work was evidently more adapted to PNP inhibition than the other reported cultures.

Objectives: To describe our experience at La Paz University Hospital with 12 patients with urinary tract endometriosis, an uncommon pathologic finding, the most extensive series published by Spanish investigators to our knowledge., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 12 cases of urinary tract endometriosis diagnosed from 1993 to 2008., Results: The mean patient age was 37.75 years. Of the 12 patients, 5 had bladder involvement and 7 had ureteral involvement, 2 bilateral, 2 left, and 3 right. In those with bladder endometriosis, the diagnosis was made by cystoscopy and biopsy in 4 patients. Treatment consisted of laparoscopic hysterectomy and partial cystectomy in 1 patient and exploratory laparotomy, transvesical resection, and transurethral resection of the bladder in 3 patients. One of the patients who underwent transurethral resection of the bladder experienced 2 relapses. The first relapse was treated with transurethral resection of the bladder and the second with laparoscopic partial cystectomy. In the patients with ureteral endometriosis, the diagnosis was mainly established by magnetic resonance imaging. Treatment consisted of ureteroneocystostomy in 5 patients (bilateral in 1) and laparoscopic ureterolysis in 2, with later ureteral resection and end-to-end anastomosis in 1 of them. The patient who underwent bilateral ureteroneocystostomy finally required right autotransplantation because of early ureteral relapses., Conclusions: Urinary tract endometriosis is an uncommon pathologic finding. Surgery is the treatment of choice. We believe partial cystectomy should be considered as an initial option in selected cases, depending on the extent and location of lesions. For cases of ureteral endometriosis, the initial technique depends on the location and depth of the lesion.

We expose you one case of leukemic infiltration of the urinary bladder. This kind of infiltration is rare so we reviewed the literature finding 14 cases since 1932. Although this hematological infiltration is very unusual, it should be considered in patients with leukemia and hematuria.

Objectives: We want to show our experience with paraurethral balloon implantation in the treatment of male urinary incontinence., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our series from March 2003 to March 2007, including 69 male patients with urinary incontinence, most of them after radical prostatectomy., Results: 6 patients did not have their first follow-up visit after surgery. Mean follow-up was 22 months (3-48). 57.14% of the patients (36/63 do not need pads, and 12.69% use one safety pad (8/63); therefore 69.83% (44/63) of the patients are dry or use one safety pad. If we stratify patients by incontinence severity, 81.25% of the patients with mild incontinence and 59.25% with moderate incontinence are dry. Nevertheless, only 35% of the patients with severe incontinence are dry (no protection)., Conclusions: In our experience, we believe that paraurethral balloon implantation could be the first therapeutic option for mild and moderate male urinary incontinence.

Objectives: laparoscopic surgery has demonstrated that it is a good alternative to conventional surgery for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. Robotic surgery could be a therapeutic option. We try to evaluate both techniques, analyzing a series of parameters that allow us to describe the advantages and disadvantages of both techniques., Methods: We performed a MEDLINE search and reviewed the main series of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and robotic radical prostatectomy (RRP). The parameters analyzed for each techniques were: oncological results, functional results, blood loss, transfusion rates, surgical times, complications rates, learning curve and cost., Results: Both techniques have the advantage of being minimally invasive, which results in better recovery and aesthetic results. The learning curve of the robotic prostatectomy is shorter, 10 to 20 cases in comparison with 50 to 60 for the LRP. Cost analysis is more favourable for LRP, with a single-use instrument expenditure of 533 dollars per patient in comparison with 1.705 dollars with the robot. The cost of the robot is 1.200.000 dollars plus 100.000 dollars of annual maintenance (1). Operative time was 182 minutes [ 14 1-250] for robotic surgery and 234 min. [151-453] for LRP. Within the same institution, like Montsouris, times are very similar: 155 min. for the RRP and 18 1 min. for the (LRP). Mean operative blood loss was 234 ml [75-500] for the robot and 482 ml [185-859] for the LRP depending on the technique employed and the institution. Complication rate is similar for both techniques. The percentage of positive surgical margins is 20.6% for LRP and 19.24% for RRP Long term results on the biochemical PSA recurrence cannot be given due to the short life of both techniques. Continence rates are 56-100% for LRP and 70-98% for RRP Potency rates are 25-82% for LRP and 79-100% for RRP It is difficult to evaluate hospital stay because it depends on the politics of the medical institutions; nevertheless, it seems there are not significant differences between techniques., Conclusions: Introoperative and postoperative advantages are comparable with both techniques. Robotic prostatectomy has a shorter learning curve. Prospective studies with longer follow-up are necessary to compare oncological and functional results. The cost of LRP is lower than RRP.

A simplified cryopreservation method for bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) was utilized in hematopoietic cell transplantation of 213 patients with hematological or solid neoplasms after ablative chemotherapy (187 with peripheral blood progenitor cells and 26 with bone marrow). Cells were cryopreserved, after addition of autologous fresh plasma with DMSO, without HES, by freezing to -80 degrees C in a methanol bath and non-programmed freezer. For the patients autotransplanted with PBPC, the median period necessary for recovery of more than 0.5 x 10(9)/l granulocytes was 11 days (range 6-44), and 15 (8-204) days were required to obtain more than 20 x 10(9)/l platelets. For the patients autotransplanted with BM, the median period necessary to recover >0.5 x 10(9)/l granulocytes was 12 days (range 9-33), and 24 (12-57) days to obtain more than 20 x 10(9)/l platelets. These results support this method as being very effective in achieving high-quality cryopreservation. The procedure, which uses a non-programmed freezer, simplifies and reduces enormously the cost of the technical measures currently in use, enabling its adoption in almost any clinical oncological institution.

Proteinase-deficient (Prt-) and aminopeptidase-deficient (Amp-) variants of Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei IFPL 731 were isolated and characterized. The Prt- mutant was isolated from strains that developed poorly on glucose milk agar. The Amp- mutant was isolated on the basis of its inability to hydrolyse L-leucine-beta-naphtylamide. The Prt- variant developed poorly, while in milk the Amp- variant grew at about the same rate as the parental strain. The characterization of aminopeptidase activity in more detail showed that at least two enzymes are involved The results of the present study suggest that the proteolytic system of Lactobacillus casei is subjected to a regulatory system.